"Up to 14 Million Vaccinations Possible in First Half of Year" ... June Vaccine Counterattack (Comprehensive)

Moderna 55,000 doses and Janssen 1.01 million doses arrive in Korea
Four types of vaccines to be available at vaccination sites from mid-next month

Janssen vaccine doses three times the target population
Concerns rise over 'chaos' in first-come, first-served vaccine registration

[Asia Economy Reporters Jihee Kim and Chunhee Lee] The time for a major counterattack against COVID-19 has arrived. Following the AstraZeneca (AZ) and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna and Janssen vaccines will be arriving in South Korea next month. This means that four out of the five types of vaccines secured by our government, excluding Novavax, will be fully introduced. A green light has also been turned on for achieving the first-dose vaccination target of 13 million people in the first half of the year.

◆ Moderna and Janssen vaccines also land in South Korea = According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team on the 31st, 55,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will arrive at Incheon Airport at around 12:45 PM on the 1st of next month. This shipment is the first batch of Moderna vaccines introduced domestically, originally scheduled to arrive on the same day but delayed by one day due to local circumstances. The 1,012,800 doses of Janssen vaccine, which the U.S. government agreed to support during the Korea-U.S. summit on the 22nd, will also be introduced this week, with vaccinations starting from the 10th of next month. Initially, the U.S. planned to supply 550,000 doses to South Korea, but the actual supply is twice that amount. Accordingly, from mid-next month, South Korea will have a lineup of four types of vaccines.

June is expected to be a turning point for South Korea's counterattack against COVID-19. So far, the vaccines secured by South Korea include 10 million doses (20 million shots) obtained through the COVAX Facility, and individually contracted vaccines: Pfizer 33 million doses (66 million shots), Moderna 20 million doses (40 million shots), Novavax 20 million doses (40 million shots), AZ 10 million doses (20 million shots), Janssen 6 million doses (6 million shots), and an additional 1 million doses of Janssen vaccine recently provided, totaling 101.3 million doses.

Adding the Janssen supply to the 18.32 million doses initially planned for the first half of the year, the total secured doses for the first half approach 20 million. This is sufficient to achieve the target of 13 million first-dose vaccinations by the end of June. As of midnight on the day, 5,403,854 people have completed their first dose. Approximately 7.6 million people need to be vaccinated in the remaining month, which is considered feasible given the vaccine supply situation and vaccination infrastructure. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the COVID-19 briefing on the 31st, "The initial target of 13 million first-dose vaccinations in the first half did not consider the 1 million doses of Janssen vaccine," adding, "Currently, it is possible to reach up to 14 million in the first half."

With the diversification of vaccine types, vaccinations for some priority groups such as essential social workers and healthcare workers, who were previously unable to receive certain vaccines due to age restrictions, are expected to accelerate. The Moderna vaccine, introduced at vaccination sites from next month, will be used to vaccinate healthcare workers under 30 years old working in hospital-level or higher medical institutions. These individuals were initially scheduled to receive the AZ vaccine starting in March but were excluded from vaccination with that vaccine due to the 'blood clot controversy' for those under 30.

◆ Concerns over 'chaos' in first-come, first-served registration = Janssen vaccine vaccinations will begin on the 1st of next month for reservists and civil defense personnel aged 30 and above, military-related workers, and military families, with registration accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The biggest advantage of the Janssen vaccine is that it requires only one dose. Unlike other vaccines that provide incentives separately for the first and second doses, all incentives apply after just one dose. For example, if a person receives the first dose on June 16, Janssen vaccine recipients will be exempt from all private gathering restrictions starting in July. In contrast, AZ vaccine recipients must wait 11 weeks for the second dose and an additional two weeks, only enjoying full vaccination incentives around mid-September.

The problem is that the vaccination group selected by the government totals 3,715,000 people, while the newly introduced vaccine supply is only 1,012,800 doses. Only 27.3% of the target group can be vaccinated this time.

Considering the shortage, the government’s solution is first-come, first-served registration. Previously, except for leftover vaccine vaccinations, all vaccinations were guaranteed for applicants who applied within the designated period. However, for the Janssen vaccine, once the number of pre-registration applicants starting on the 1st exceeds the available vaccine doses, further reservations will be impossible. Those who fail to secure a spot in the 3.7 to 1 competition ratio will likely have to wait until the third quarter for vaccination, as they are not part of the priority group.

Given that the target group is men in their 30s who are quick to obtain information, there is a possibility of a 'vaccine ticketing chaos' if pre-registrations flood in. Already, the AZ vaccine pre-registration system has shown signs of leftover vaccine shortages, with only 4,229 people successfully vaccinated through the system on its first day. Reservist Kim Jung-woo (31) said, "I plan to wait in front of the computer like registering for university courses at the start of pre-registration," adding, "I’m worried the server might crash."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.